


A Treat

by jisoomes



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:54:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27301501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jisoomes/pseuds/jisoomes
Summary: Some Hayffie Halloween/Autumn prompts
Relationships: Haymitch Abernathy/Effie Trinket
Comments: 5
Kudos: 11





	A Treat

**“I just spent an hour raking all these leaves into one sport, and your dog just ran away from you into the pile and scattered all the leaves. I can’t bring myself to be angry at such a cute dog, so I’m gonna be angry with you instead.”**

As much as she hated to admit it, Effie’s mother than been right. It was better to hire help than doing it yourself.

For all her friends preaching about how hard work made you feel good, Effie was feeling very much the opposite. Her back hurt, her feet were beginning to protest and she was starting to feel the cold.

Next time, she would pay somebody to rake her leaves for her. There must be a teenager in this tiny town willing to do that for a small fee...

Still, there was a tiny moment of triumph when she realised it was almost done. Her front lawn was back to being pretty and clean. Ready and waiting for the Halloween decorations piled on her kitchen island. It would look great, she could picture it _perfectly._

Little pumpkin and witch hat fairy lights wrapped around her small porch. Pumpkin’s stacked next to the door, a scarecrow at the base of the little stairs, bunting on the trim of the roof...

It would be her first Halloween since moving here and she was desperate to make a good impression. Moving to a small town had seemed like a good idea when she had made it, but people were not very welcoming. Despite her going out of her way to involve herself in the community she seemed to be constantly met with strange stares and patronising remarks.

She paused her work to look at her house once again, debating whether or not to swap the lights and the bunting, would it look better for the scarecrow to go by the door? 

Behind her, there was a rustle from the pile of leaves and she jumped. Screaming in fright when a pair of brown eyes popped out at her.

Her first instinct was to shoo the thing away. After all, she had spent the last hour raking the leaves that the animal was currently rolling back across her lawn.

But then, fluffy ears shook and playful eyes watched her again. They were sparkling so much in the sun that they almost looked yellow. Far too cute. All the more so when the dog broke out into a pant and it looked like it was smiling...

“Buddy! What the fuck did we say about running across roads?” A man - presumably the owner - was walking towards them. Effie wasn’t surprised a man like him owned such an unruly dog. Seriously - who wore _navy_ with a muddy green? Not to mention the greasy blonde hair hanging limply next to his chin - a chin which was covered in messy stubble.

The dog - Buddy she could only assume - leapt from out of the leaves to greet his owner, tail wagging so hard it was almost wiggling his whole body...

Effie waited for an apology.

And waited.

When the man simply clipped the leash onto the collar - which was also a clashing colour - she cleared her throat.

The man looked up with a start. “Yeah?” 

“Are you going to apologise?”

“For what?” The man chuckled. Buddy shifted between them, looking like he might try to leap back into the leaves.

“I just spent an hour raking all these leaves into one sport, and your dog just ran away from you into the pile and scattered all the leaves,” Effie replied, not so subtly looking at the messy floor and back at the man with accusing eyes.

The man looked incredulous. “Sweetheart, they’re leaves.”

“My name is _Effie_ , not sweetheart,” she said, waiting patiently for the man to introduce himself. No such luck... “Are you going to introduce yourself?”

“No,” he shrugged. “You’re done getting your panties in a twist?”

She gasped. “How rude!”

He stepped forward, clearly intending to leave and Effie wouldn’t have that. Not when his dog just undid all her hard work. And... Well, she couldn’t find herself to be mad at those chocolate eyes.

She thrust the rake in front of them - it was lucky he had fast reflexes because otherwise, Effie was certain she would have taken off his toes.

“You will help me rake them back up,” she demanded. “It is not my fault you cannot control your dog.”

“Yeah...” The man said, not looking apologetic at all. “That’s not going to happen, move your rake before you end up on your ass, princess.”

“Effie,” she corrected. She moved the rake a little further just in case he tried to walk around it. Buddy crouched, ready to play with the metal tool and she smiled. “Look, Buddy wants to help, don’t you? Good boy...”

“Oh? He’s a good boy now?” The man snorted. “Thought he’s the cause of your problem?”

“Of course not,” she cooed. “Buddy is a good boy. You, however, did not control him and now I have even more of a mess. It is only fair you help correct your mistake.”

The man rolled his eyes but sighed, seemingly sensing she would not let this go. “What do you want me to do?”

She presented the rake, not quite missing the way the man looked her up and down. When he met her eyes again, he didn’t look ashamed at being caught.

“If I rake, what do I get?” He asked. His tone was light but there was an underlying heat that should have scared her - really, he was a _stranger_. But it was strangely arousing. He had irritated her and ruined her afternoon’s work but... She couldn’t quite find the anger anymore.

“I will look after the dog,” she deadpanned. It couldn’t be that hard to control him, right? He wasn’t that big of a dog. Not small, sure. But small enough that she could hold him in her hands if need be.

The man’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I’d like to see that... Shall we make a bet?”

She frowned. “A bet?”

“I’ll tell you my name if you can control him whilst I rake,” he shrugged, handing her the leash. For all his confidence, he hesitated when she took it. He watched carefully when she settled them both on the stairs to watch him rake. Buddy was perfectly behaved though, more amused than stressed about walking with a stranger.

He was more attractive than she thought. From a distance, she could see he was muscular. Not in a working out way - it was natural. Effie made a mental note to tell her friends that they were _definitely_ wrong about this hard work thing because watching him rake was _far_ more rewarding than doing it herself.

That was until the dog sprang from his lying position abruptly to attack the rake, dragging her right from the safety of the stairs onto the grass...

Effie felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. Her heart still thudding in her chest from the surprise. There was dirt pressed against her cheek - a disgusting feeling that demanded she move right away. Yet, she remained stuck.

“Here,” the man said, offering her his arm to get up. He had a smug smile on his face - like he knew he’d win all along.

Every part of her protested taking the help, but she was too flustered to care much more about her pride. It couldn’t get worse, could it?

“Name’s Haymitch,” he said. “By the way.”

**We’re in costume and I know exactly who you are but I pretend I don’t so I have an excuse to make out with you just once. ******

Haymitch pulled her hand harder, urging her down the hallway faster...

Now and again, a pinch of guilt gnawed at the back of his mind. One that was quickly dispelled by the leather bunny pressing herself against his back.

He knew the bar well. Hell, he had spent so many nights drinking away bad memories with Chaff... But it had been a long time since he got lucky here. Somewhere around, there was an empty office that hadn’t been used in years. It was more secluded than an alley. And he knew there was a lock that guaranteed no interruptions.

“Where are we going?” The bunny whispered in his ear. Effie’s voice was husky and aroused and he bit back a groan.

He found the door and quickly shoved her through it. He hesitated before following her in, expecting her to protest the roughness but she simply pinned him to the door with intoxicating kisses that had his mind going blank...

 _Fuck_ , she was addictive.

He knew it would be good, nobody had kept him interested for so long before. Nobody managed to rile him up as she did. He always knew they would be _good_ together.

But her kisses... He could come from just kissing her if she kept this up. It had been far too long for him.

He ghosted his hand up her back, itching to touch her breasts over the tight fabric... She always looked hot but tonight she looked impossibly sexy. A tight leather dress and mask with ridiculous bunny ears that covered half her face. A perfect combination of her. It was a little weird to kiss with their masks on but he didn’t dare take to ask her to take it off.

If she asked the same of him, there would be no more kissing. That was for sure.

He wasn’t the best at indicating interest in a woman. It had always come the other way. And sure, he liked difficult women but they tended to be the ones who told him they were interested. He had never really done it the other way.

But Effie was oblivious to his attempts it seemed. And he had been running out of options.

Haymitch hadn’t come here with a plan, far from it. He knew she would be there. Hell, he had invited her to keep him company once he’d helped Chaff find someone to spend the night with. But the moment he saw her in that ridiculous outfit, dancing around... He had to do something.

Was it wrong to make out with her when she didn’t know who he was? Absolutely. And tomorrow when he’s sober, Haymitch knew he would beat himself up about it. However, he can’t bring himself to think clearly when Effie was making such enticing noises and tasted so good...

She tugged on his shirt, directing him to the dusty couch he knows is right across from the empty desk...

He beat her to it, holding her firmly in his arms so she wouldn’t get too hurt when she fell backwards. 

Still, she broke the kiss with a gasp. “This is crazy.”

Her voice was breathless and his pants felt smaller than ever as he kissed down her neck. He sucked when she tilted her hair to encourage him. It would leave a mark. One he knew he would stare at - visible or not - tomorrow when they had dinner with the kids and drive himself crazy over.

Effie’s hands found his belt, groped him through the tight black pants he had found in his wardrobe. They had still had tags on and he hadn’t remembered buying them. But they were perfect for a last-minute Halloween costume.

He enjoyed the touching more than he should have. But even tipsy, he had morals. When she started to undo his belt. He regretfully clasped her hands in his and brought them back up.

“What’s wrong?” Effie asked, her voice obviously confused. _Why wouldn’t she be?_ He had brought her into a dark room after all.

It didn’t feel right though, to sleep with her when she didn’t know who he was. Or rather, when she knew who he was but didn't know it was _him_. It wasn’t right to kiss her either but...

Haymitch could just about glimpse her face in the dark room. She was frowning he thought, although it was hard to tell with the mask.

He licked his lips, it was less daunting to speak when the music was loud. What if she recognised it now that they were alone? “You don’t know who I am.”

His sentence hung between them for a moment.

Then she laughed. “Yes I do, you’re a rabbit robber. Aren’t you going to take advantage of me? You did, after all, steal me away from the party...”

Her puns were awful but he let her kiss him anyway. Let her erase the guilty feelings with her tongue and gentle touches...  
Her hands found his, encouraged him to touch her breasts like he had wanted to do for months...

The guilt came back in tenfold.

“No, sweetheart," he insisted, firmer this time." You don’t know who I am...” Then he mustered all his courage and pulled back, planting his palms each side of her head to loom above her. Stopped pressing his hips into hers...

Effie tugged on his shirt again but he resisted.

In the light from the hallway, he saw her roll her eyes. “Haymitch, you do not honestly think a striped shirt and trousers _I_ bought you make you unrecognisable, right?”

He froze. “You knew?”

“Of course! You silly man,” she said, amusement clear in her voice. “Do you think I’d let any old robber make-out with me in a dusty room?”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” He asked. This time, when she tugged he went with her wishes. It didn’t feel so wrong now after all...

“I’ve been waiting for you to kiss me for months,” she confessed, nudging his masked nose with hers. “It’s about time we get it out of our system.”

She moved her face, lips hovering so close to his he felt every breath she took...

“Are you sure?”

In response, she pulled him down to her, deepening the kiss so much when he pulled away the room was spinning.

He would take that as a yes.

**Person A and person B are neighbours and both are determined to have cooler Halloween decorations than the other.**

“Effie, you know I love you... But this is ridiculous,” her brother confessed, eyes lingering on the living room full of boxes with dread on his face.

“ _Please_ , Marcus...” Effie pouted. He had never been ab;e to resist her pouting. “Did you not catch a glimpse of next door when you came in? He has _zombies!_ ”

Beside Marcus, Portia’s gaze travelled a similar journey. “Just _how_ many inflatables have you bought?”

“Twenty,” she said. “There’s other stuff too, to fill the space. Little things like graves and statues. Oh! And there’s some light-up stuff too, those are in the kitchen.”

“Why?” Marcus asked with concern clear in his voice. She hadn’t invited him to help decorate before. But with Haymitch’s front lawn quickly littering with zombies, she had panicked. It wouldn’t be long until the first trick or treaters came and if his house was finished before hers - well, he would win. She needed all available hands on deck.

She wasn’t quite sure _what_ he would win. Bragging rights, perhaps? All she knew was that she had to get this over on him. It was neck and neck this year. He had won the previous year - as much as she hated to admit it - with a huge tall Pumpkin statue that towered over her Wonderland decorations.

Why just remembering the excited screams of children when they left her house and went onto his made her seethe with anger.

“He _hates_ when I use lights,” she grinned. “Do you remember the first decorations I ever did here?”

Her brother frowned. “The jack-o-lanterns all over the front lawn?”

She had been desperate to make a good impression in her new neighbourhood back then. Go big or go home, she figured. Little did she know nobody else in the street decorated for Halloween. The angry neighbour knocking on to rant at her about fire hazards had only encouraged her to go bigger next year.

And then... He had staged a UFO crash site on his lawn the year after that and stolen her thunder.

“He was so mad about that, that's what started this whole debacle. And now, I have to win this year or else he will have a streak.” Which was absolutely unacceptable. Effie Trinket would _not_ have a losing streak to her neighbour. Not when he would pop his head over the fence and wave it in her face every time he could.

If she lost, she would have to move.

Her brother sighed but picked up the foot pump he had brought along. “Alright, give me the first one. But I’m warning you, you’re on your own for Christmas decorating.”

She flashed him a rare smile and proceeded to hand over the biggest inflatable. “Thank you.”

**I show up at the coffee shop every day during fall to pick up my pumpkin latte. You’re the new barista and honestly, I don’t need your snarky comments about my caffeine addiction.**

“What happened to Peeta?”

Haymitch had been waiting for that voice behind him all morning.

“You’re late today,” he commented, taking his sweet time turning around to study the familiar woman.

Ever since going sober, he had found himself in Peeta’s bakery every morning the moment it opened. Reading the paper or helping him out with the cakes - he wasn’t much of a baker but he was learning out of boredom. Occasionally - when he didn’t have the shakes - he helped with the deliveries.

The blonde woman who came in at 6:30 am sharp for her coffee fix in the most ridiculous outfits was a nice surprise. One he never minded eyeing and chuckling at. Peeta loved her, claimed she was funny and sweet and had even donated to help him with renovations.

Today's outfit - a calf-length white dress with pink ruffles on the top half was as ridiculous as ever. And not for the first time Haymitch had to wonder just _what_ she worked as in this small town to dress like that.

“Late?” She frowned, drawing his attention back up to her face. Despite the over-the-top outfits, she was gorgeous. So pretty he had no idea how someone like her ended up here. A mining town with not much to boast about, most of the population being poor families...

“You’re usually here at six, it’s almost eight today,” Haymitch shrugged. “You want that pumpkin shit?”

The woman visibly recoiled at his language, a reaction that brought a smirk to his face. This would be more fun than he thought.

“Do you work here?” Her previous shock had been covered with a haughty attitude. She straightened her back like a goose with ruffled feathers. He had to bite back making a joke about those pink ruffles covering her chest...

“I do now,” he said. He hadn’t planned on filling in, but the boy had convinced him that the bakery would be quiet enough since lunch was the busiest time for them. And he was so excited about buying that ring...

“Alright, one medium pumpkin spice latte, please."

She looked at the empty bakery as he pressed the order into the till. He was still figuring out how to use it and the uncomfortable silence set his senses on alert.

“I usually see you sitting at one of the tables,” the woman said, breaking the silence. “I did not realise you were keeping tabs on costumers.”

He gestured to the card machine for her to pay, already knowing she didn’t use cash - another strange thing in a town like this.

“Hard not to when they wear dresses like that and come in at the same time every day like an addict.” The card machine beeped and she put the card away before glaring hard at him.

Fuck, she was _definitely_ hot when she was glaring. His mouth went dry at the irritation in her eyes. It had been _so_ long since he had felt this kind of attraction to a woman...

His mind blank, Haymitch turned around to avoid embarrassing himself. Peeta had been sure to show him how to make this stupid drink. Apparently, she had mentioned it when she first started coming. Slowly, the rest of the town had come around to it. It was becoming one of the most ordered in fall these days. He didn’t quite get the hype, what was so wrong with just normal coffee? Why did you have to add a bunch of unnecessary stuff to it?

“Are you this rude to everybody or have I come in on a bad day?” She retorted at his back. “I will have you know, I _can_ go without my caffeine fix. You, on the other hand, should consider a cup. It might improve your sour mood.”

She couldn’t see the devious idea spread across his face, which was a _shame_ really. 

“Name?” He asked, trying hard to keep the amusement out of his voice.

“Effie,” the lady deadpanned. The unimpressed huff that followed gave him far too much joy.

As for the outrage on her face when he turned around to present her cup...

And took a big sip before she could take it...

He had expected it to taste like pumpkin. It was a little too hot to taste completely. But the spicy, sweet assault on his tongue caught him off guard. Wasn’t this supposed to be an autumn drink? That’s what Peeta had told him, anyway. And yet... It tasted more of sugar than pumpkin.

Effie gaped. If looks could kill, he’d worry for his life about now.

Haymitch smacked his lips together and nudged the cup towards her with a fake disappointed sigh. “It didn't work, I still think you’re annoying, sweetheart.”

**“If one fake spider makes it anywhere near me while you are decorating, I swear I will punch you.”**

Haymitch smirked when Effie squealed again, wriggling away from the hand he crawled up her back.

“Stop it!” She said, laughter clear in her voice. She tried to be stern but failed: “Haymitch, I mean it.”

He didn’t stop the smile that spread across his face when she turned around. The glare she gave was so heatless it only made him smile harder.

Effie pouted. “You promised you would help.”

Haymitch studied the mess their living room had become with a mock pout of his own. “I am helping, you see all these bags I had to carry in?”

“You need to put up the bunting,” she insisted. “You’re taller.”

“Bossy,” he said without heat, already stepping on the stool she had found stuffed in the study a few months ago. 

He had never needed it before. But Effie was in redecorating mood - it seemed. He supposed it was only fair, he had been insisting she move in since she came back with Peeta. She had taken a lot of convincing, scared that he would regret it and they would argue.

They _did_ argue. But it was far less than before. He had confronted his feelings for her in Thirteen. When she had been the only crux left to cling to. They had been trying to build something when Katniss was sent back to Twelve. And now...

And now things were finally settling down.

He kind of loved it - which a scary word he was trying to reacquaint himself with. 

“The spiders.” Effie nodded to the bag on the coffee table when he finished pinning the bunting. She had already told him she would not be touching those decorations. Apparently, they creeped her out. “I am warning you, if one fake spider makes it anywhere near me while you are decorating, I swear I _will_ punch you.”

“They’re fake, you know that right?” he said, taking a handful and heading back to the step to hang them on the bunting. Their living room looked ridiculous as it was. Full of orange and black decorations for Halloween - Effie insisted they celebrate it. Something about helping the children of Twelve see her in a new light, or something.

Haymitch wasn’t sure candy would do that, but he let her have her pretence. He had always known she was ridiculous, after all.

“They are realistic,” she replied with a shudder, watching the way he stuck them to the bunting with a dissatisfied look. “Don’t put too many on one side.”

“So bossy today,” he commented. “You know how I get when you’re bossy.”

He reached out to touch her but she avoided his hands. “No funny business until you’re spider-free.”

As he kicked the stool over to the other side, he hesitated. Effie didn’t notice, too busy looking at the other side as if he had done something wrong - and _really_ , why was she so bothered by the number of spiders in each space? As if anybody would care enough to count them...

He stepped up, pretending to pin some on this side, only to drop the handful right on top of her head.

“Haymitch!” She squealed once more, wriggling to shake them off. “You are horrid. A horrid, cruel man...”

He laughed, stepping down to help her get some out of her hair. Because he was nice like that.

And well... It allowed him to cop a feel too. She couldn’t have been too mad about it because the way she kissed him next was slow and tender and he couldn’t shake his smile off of his face in the middle of it.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Halloween! Hope this made up for yesterday :) Speaking of, Tumblr didn't want to let me tag it so if you missed it make sure you check it out! Also, on the theme of treats, I'll try and post next week too. I have some free time and I've missed posting a lot so please look forward to that!  
> So... Tell me which was your favourite? Do you forgive me? Tell me everything! ~~And tell me your first impressions about Marcus because he may or may not be in a multi-chapter story I'm working on ;)~~


End file.
